A pair of large and rare Italian ceramic pine cone lamps in white glaze by Marcello Fantoni (1915-2011). These are original mid century pieces dating from the 1960s and are ceramic sculptures in lamp form. It is difficult to find a matched pair of large Fantoni lamps, and I cannot find a pair of his pine cone lamps having been offered for sale. Each is unique and slightly different in the exact modeling of the cone scales, but they originated as a pair and were purchased directly from an old estate. Highly decorative and collector-quality, these lamps have impressive size and would work in both modern and traditional interiors. Each lamp is fully signed on the bottom with the signature “Fantoni / ITALY”. Much information is easily available on Fantoni, and I will not repeat it here. However, it is noteworthy that he is considered one of the masters of 20th century Italian ceramics and that his works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Brooklyn Museum; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza, the National Bargello Museum and at the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi. Condition: Bases are near perfect without apparent flaws. Brass lamp parts have original wear as shown in the photos. All wiring and lamp parts are as-found and in working order. Bases are 10” diameter and 17” tall; overall height is adjustable from 31-34”. Lampshade shown for scale only and is not included.